DOES THE INTERNET REQUIRE US TO RETHINK FREE SPEECH?

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

January 2018

Abstract

'Who's Afraid of Online Speech?' Future Tense event, assessing current fears about online speech and the promise and peril of proposals to address to them. Speakers include Democrats Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Ted Lieu, Arizona State University News Co/Lab Director and co-founder Dan Gillmor, American University Washington College of Law Associate Professor Jennifer Daskal, Higher Ground Labs co-founder Andrew McLaughlin, Wikimedia Foundation Product Analyst Caroline Sinders, Mercer University Assistant Professor of Literary Studies and Writing Whitney Phillips, and New America Future Tense Fellow Kate Klonick and Public Interest Technology Fellow Dipayan Ghosh.Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University

Comments

Free speech has long been a cornerstone of American democracy, but the ubiquity and intimacy of online content is now challenging our society’s once-unshakable belief in the appeal of unfettered speech. In this age of hacks, trolls, fake news, and digital hate speech, lawmakers, citizens, and the tech companies that control our access to the Internet and social media are rethinking how much we should police online content for veracity and for its potential to do harm.
Does the triumph of social media platforms mean we should revisit the protections given to online speech at the turn of the Internet Age? What role should the government play in protecting consumers from disinformation and harassment? Should formidable gatekeepers like Facebook and Google now exercise the type of editorial judgment we expect from The New York Times and Washington Post?
Join Future Tense as we assess current fears about online speech and the promise and peril of proposals to address to them.

Source Publication

Who's Afraid of Online Speech? [New America, Slate, Arizona State University]

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